Glens Falls, NY : Two local siblings were killed on Saturday, June 10, 2017

Two local siblings were killed Saturday morning on the Ohio Turnpike after the driver of the car they were riding in swerved to try to avoid striking a deer and was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The two girls killed were Payton Thatcher, 7, of Glens Falls and Tiarra Couture, 13, of Argyle. They were half sisters. Their deaths were confirmed by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s office website.

Payton was a student at Big Cross Elementary School, and Tiarra was at Argyle Central School.

The girls’ mother, Nicole Underwood, 34, was in serious condition Sunday, according to a nursing supervisor at MetroHealth Medical Center.

Her mother, Bonnie Underwood, 51, who was driving, was discharged. Nicole Underwood’s son, Carter Underwood, 9, was also hospitalized. His grandmother said by telephone that he was expected to be released Monday. She said her daughter had improved from Sunday morning to Sunday evening, and she said she hoped Nicole would be released within a day or two.

A nursing supervisor at the hospital, who asked not to be named, said the staff had rallied around the family and was doing everything it could to help.

The accident took place just before 4:30 a.m. Saturday, according to a highway patrol press release.

A state trooper who was on the scene said the investigation determined the Underwoods’ black 2010 Subaru Outback was being driven east when a deer ran in across the road. Bonnie Underwood was driving and could not avoid the deer.

The car's airbags deployed, the trooper said, and she lost control of the car, and it was hit by the Freightliner. The care spun, hit the divider and ended up on the berm.

The three children in the back of the Subaru had to be removed by Strongsville firefighters.

The driver of the Freightliner, Mohamed Foday Sesay of Bladeburg, Maryland, 50, was uninjured. His cab was pulling a trailer carrying 44,000 pounds of juice. The state highway inspection unit also investigated the case.

Strongsville is about 22 miles south of Cleveland.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the accident, but charges are not expected.

Leeann Mae Thorne, a close friend of the family, said she is working on several fundraisers to get funding for transportation and funeral expenses. The girls’ funeral will be held together.

Source :
Two local girls killed in Ohio crash